People who make grocery lists, shop for fresh produce each week and prepare meals at home are more likely to keep a trim figure because they have total control over what they eat and when. There’s no last-minute trips to the frozen dinners aisle of the grocery store or, worse yet, to the drive-thu at the local burger joint.

But selecting, washing and chopping up fresh foods for dinner is an activity that many of us just don’t have time for. If you’re more than a little stretched for time, consider splurging a bit at the grocery store to make eating fresh produce easier on yourself. Forget the bulk carrots and bunches of broccoli and head for the pre-washed, pre-peeled, pre-cut, pre-bagged veggie section. There you will find foods like baby zucchini, cut broccoli florets and sliced carrots, which can all help you make your meals easier than ever to prepare.

Yes, they cost quite a bit more than bulk produce, but if you don’t have the time to prepare fresh foods for dinner, what will you end up eating instead? TV dinners? Macaroni and cheese? Top Ramen? The question you have to ask yourself is “How much is good health worth to me and my family?”

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